At first, the whole Moscow theatre society started talking about him-the discovery of the famous director Andrey Zhinitkin. Daniil Strahov, the actor blessed with the look of a hero-lover, didn’t become its detainee. On stage, he played maniac Chicatilo, as well as madman Caligula, and forever young Dorian Gray. On screen, he usually played the small roles of handsome villains.

And after the serial “Poor Nastya”, in which Strahov played one of the leading roles, appeared on the screen, he reached the rank of a star of national cinematography.

Daniil, many Russian actors dream of a role in historical dramas. It seems that the role of Vladimir Korf was a true gift from heaven for you...-I never had such dreams. As for “Poor Nastya”, it is a pseudo historical epic. Costumes, manners, social etiquette, dialogues, almost everything was rather relative and modernized. Although the story takes place in the nineteenth century, it happens to be nothing more than maybe a reason to make a conversation.

You’ve gained precious experience, participating in many Russian serials. Would you please tell us, are there any crucial differences in shooting process, between Russian serials and Russian-American “Poor Nastya”?-Yes, there are differences. For example, practically every scene is shot with two or three cameras at the same time. And that is the reason our acting had to be good, skilled. Unlike the Russian serials, and Russian films even more, here actors are not given the possibility to change anything concerning the close-ups or long shots.

Undoubtedly, that kind of shootings are much more exhausting?-Certainly, because they increase the extent of work. If “Poor Nastya” is shown five days a week, and each episode with commercials lasts one hour, then it is very easy to calculate how much film we need to shoot every day. That is a very fast tempo of shooting. Nevertheless, we are putting much effort into converting this soap into the film-like material, and if not that, than into a material we won’t be ashamed of. Here in Russia we don’t have clear differentiation between soap opera actors and so called big screen artists, as Americans do. It would be inconceivable that Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino or Robert DeNiro ,being who they are, take part in soap opera. And yet, here we have Albert Filozov, Olga Ostroumova, Aleksandr Kalyagin, Aleksandr Filipenko and many other “big names” of our cinematography, participating in “Poor Nastya”.

Undoubtedly contingencies on shooting site occur quite often? -Yes, I already had to fence, constantly, for 10 hours, while they kept on pouring water on me. And it all started the very first day of the shooting. Following the scenario, we were shooting the day before the duel. It was August, but in spite of the calendar it was wildly cold. We did the outdoor scenes, I had to be only in my shirt all day long, and they kept pouring cold water on me. In one scene I had to wash myself with cold water, in another my character was supposed to be so drunk, that he hardly stood on his feet, and again cold water was to be poured on him. That was the beginning of my shooting days.

Tell us, please, how many hours a day do you spend on the shooting site?-It depends, but what may be considered as a rule is that we are always talking about two-digit number. The time that is left is barely enough for the basic things - sleep, get myself in shape, and prepare for the next day of shooting, But I also act in a theatre play, and work in two more serials.

Which are those two other serials you’ve mentioned? -“Zvezdochet” and “The Children of Arbat”. The last one is practically not a serial , more like a film, consisting of several episodes. The director is Andrey Andreyevich Eshpay. I play the part of Yuriy Sharok. In Ryibakov`s novel he is a completely negative character, but in the film he is just a human being who deserves attention, but also pity, and doesn’t look like the scum he appears to be in the book.

Three serials at the same time? How do you manage all that?-The actor’s agency is taking care of my shooting schedule.

More and more actors are hiring the agencies these days. Is it some kind of fashion?-That’s not trend, it is a necessity. The more work you have, the more complicated it gets to talk to producers about fees, look for the contracts, to bring theatre, film and serial shootings, together. First of all you get legally protected, then you get free from a lot of organizational and financial matters that you personally don’t even understand.

Daniil , you seem so noble looking. Were there any aristocrats among your ancestors?-No. Neither aristocrats, nor proletarians. On my mother’s side there were many priests, and after my father - I happen to be Kazak.

Your name has appeared on the list of one hundred “most beautiful people in Moscow”. Does that God-given appearance help in life? You’re not going to continue denying your beauty, are you?-It would be weird if apropos my looks, I stamped my foot and flirted, insisting that beauty wasn’t my case. Sometimes, maybe a year earlier, I would give you this type of answer-that my physical appearance is much more a burden than a help, due to men’s beauty: (a) it is not the most important thing (b) it is not unusual that men with a certain physical appearance are considered a priori stupid.

Is it so? And I thought that refers only to models…-Yes, to them too. And now… I can’t say that I’m using my looks to get something. Most likely, things are happening, and I don’t think much about it.

Daniil, would you tell us something about your wife?-She is an actress-Masha Leonova. We met in Shukinsk drama school, we were classmates. It was love at first sight. Although we got married much later, the school was where we met.

Was it the first time in your life to fall in love at first sight?-Yes, of course, if we leave aside some childish love stories that used to start on Mondays but end with the end of the week. Speaking of serious emotions,yes, it was an exceptional situation. Till then, I used to take all the literary examples of love at first sight with irony. And then it happened to me.

Daniil, as New Year’s holidays are very near, I have to wish you all the best. By the way, do you believe what they say – a good beginning makes a good ending, or that your whole year depends on how you spend New Year’s eve? -I believe as much as in any other omen. I always try to celebrate New Year’s eve adequately, but if it doesn’t turn out to be so good I don’t despair.

Do you follow the Russian traditions and go to the sauna with your friends on New Year’s eve (a few words where this tradition came from - there’s this REALLY famous Russian film of three friends visiting sauna each NY’s Eve, it’s all about funny situation that happened to one of them on this New Year)? Or maybe you have some interesting story that happened to you?-No. I have spent all my New Year’s eves so far in a calm, home atmosphere, surrounded by friends and family. I was never stuck behind the bars waiting for the striking of the clock, nor flew to Egypt, or drank champagne in Montmartre.

Do you remember any New Year’s present that provoked strong emotions? - The electronic game ”Guess“. My grandparents gave that to me as a New Year’s present, but I can’t remember exactly when it was, how many years ago.

How long did the game last?-I think it drags along somewhere, even today. If I put the batteries in, I could start playing. For me, that was a really dear gift. In every sense. It was the time when that kind of electronic games had just appeared, and they cost 24 rubles, not very cheap at the time, and considering my family’s modest earnings, the gift was truly fantastic.

Are you going to decorate the New Year tree?-Yes. I have this little green beautiful tree, I take it, decorate it in a few minutes, and it stands like that for a few days creating the holiday’s mood. It is artificial, of course. And with the real tree the trouble never ends: first you need to go get it, choose the right one, place it, decorate it, and in the end you need to collect all the needles.

What would you like to wish for the New Year?-I would like to wish good health to my friends and family.

“Women constantly pay attention to my looks, and looks alone”-admits Daniil Strahov, the actor who, thanks to high ratings of “1+1”channel`s serial, became the ladies` idol.

This young man was well known in Moscow theatre circles for some time. He played the roles of Caligula and Dorian Grey in Andrey Zhitinkin`s plays, until Zhitinkin was fired. But there was his certain luck. After that theatrical scandal, Daniil Strahov practically overnight gained popularity, playing the part of Baron Korf in the serial “ Poor Nastya”, which seems to have no end on 1+1 TV channel.

A certain hysteria surrounds “Nastya”. The serial has been broadcasted since the beginning of the year, in prime time –after 20.00. And when Russian gentlemen and counts are on the screen, all the other TV shows are practically wiped off by that powerful costumed- love attack. Baron Korf, performed by Strahov, turned out to be one of the most appealing heroes of the serial, which by all means is richly deserved. Many readers (female above all) literally implore us to publish some detailed information about the actor, and that’s what we are doing right now, with pleasure...

“Handsome-heartbreaker” Strahov is rather reserved in real life, his answers are dignified, and he often resorts to irony. Without any intentions to disappoint our female audience, I have to say that Daniil Strahov is married to Maria Leonova, actress, whom he met in the drama school, and with whom, as he says, he fell in love at first sight.

The heroes you play, both on stage and screen, are practically always charming negatives. Is it the influence of your looks on directors?-If you pay attention, you will see that in the last ten years, there hasn’t been a single more or less famous young actor, who would match the profile of hero-lover. Marat Basharov-
isn’t the hero-lover type, Igor Petrenko neither. Who else? Misha Repnin-he is from another generation. And so on…. There’s this law of demand and supply, and we should deal with it.

Also, when I create my heroes, negatives, I am trying to find some positive characteristics inside them. My baron Korf is a complex character, complicated, not always pleasant, even so I manage to give him certain charm, and change his character through various aspects, what is good in principal, because it gets boring to play the role of 100 % negative throughout 120 episodes.

At the same time you are working on another project, a serial called “Children of Arbat” (Detie Arbata) based on Anatoliy Ryibakov`s novel, and directed by Andrey Eshpay. The role you play in “Children of Arbat” is also far from ideal?-Yes, Yuriy Sharok, the part I play, in Ryibakov`s novel is undoubtedly a negative character. Andrey Andreyevich Eshpay also didn’t try to convert him into a positive hero, just a man with all his weaknesses. Although the literary basis for the scenario is middling –after all Ryibakov is not Dostoyevski, or Tolstoy. Andrey Andreyevich makes actual artistic films, and that role was my first “big one”, the kind of role I dreamt of.

And what about “Poor Nastya”? Your role in this serial is also a big one, and as it seems, quite interesting..-All the time during the casting, I was hearing this story, how Korf is some Pechorin. First I gradually dissuaded myself, then I managed to do so with all the others. Because Pechorin was a cold man, drawn back from passion, with his wishes fading away, and that was the key to all his problems. But Korf, he is boiling with emotions, he wants something, he is going somewhere, but he doesn’t always know where and why. And that exactly is the reason why I find him so interesting, because I am trying to be a man reasonable enough in life, and Korf being so reserved on one hand, and so passionate on the other, that’s what makes him so interesting to me.
Were you chosen for the role immediately?-There was a funny story about that casting: right from the beginning, for the role of Anna Platonova, they were looking for someone who would look like Elena Korikova, only not Korikova. As for the role of Korf, they were looking for someone to resemble Daniil Strahov, but not Strahov himself.

Did you have any second thoughts whether to accept the role? Because “Poor Nastya” is a rather big project, and it takes almost nine months of hard work, to come to an end with 120 episodes of serial. Some other interesting job offers could have emerged during that time…-Well, I certainly haven’t rushed into it. I’ve been thinking it over for a long time. First of all, this role meant to me getting a huge professional experience. Then it meant I would be provided with work for a couple of months, which is always a big question mark for the actors. And one more thing, it was an opportunity to play the leading role, a hero (of some sort), that never happened to me before. Of course, non-stop work has many disadvantages as well. And the final result is still uncertain. The project of such significance is definitely new for Russia, and all new things not often proceed smoothly. And besides, I have two more projects going on, along with “Poor Nastya” :shooting-“Children of Arbat”, the serial I’ve already spoken about, and “Zvezdochet”.

Daniil, do you have a critical approach to your work? How did you feel after watching the first episodes of “Poor Nastya”?-I didn’t quite like what I saw, in the beginning, especially in the first three episodes. I’m a great deal self-critical, even when there’s no need, but that attitude is kind of dynamo-machine for me, that forces me, that helps me keep on wanting things, overcoming and gaining something in this life.

In the very beginning of making the serials, many actors thought it was beneath their dignity to participate in those, allegedly, not artistic projects. Now the situation has changed, and the serials` levels have reached completely respectable standards. Nevertheless, many actors are still firmly against this genre. How do you feel about working in serials?-If those actors can sit and wait for something to happen, then I’m happy for them. Nowadays, serials are usually made by film directors. We mustn’t forget that. Every artist has his own standards and his own demands. To refuse the offer for participating in a serial is also up to each actor. And I don’t judge them.

Playing in theatre, you have acquired many admirers. Even your personal Internet site is made by them. But of course, it cannot be compared with the popularity you get from the big screen. So, is it difficult to move freely in Moscow, I mean without drawing people’s attention?-Moscow is the kind of city where everybody mind their own business! In general I’m not so often recognized in the streets. Of course, I walk the streets rarely enough (smiling). And besides if I wear the baseball cap…

It seems you don’t have free time, at all. But you must have some sort of hobby, some passion!-I like to read. But the truth is I haven’t been reading for a long time. (smiling) At first, I felt aggrieved about it. When I was in the drama school, older actors used to say to us, students, that in five years we were going to read hardly ever. I couldn’t believe that, because I have always been fond of reading. And now, lack of time is not the real reason, but all those things that life carries, like so many problems to think about, so many analyses of actual events, such a hard inner work, that just keeps me busy at the moment, so I simply cannot reach the book. And concerning some other passions…Well, my friend is always calling me to go hunting, but somehow I don’t manage…

You don’t have a problem with killing living creatures?-I found it very interesting to descend into my own feelings the first time I actually took the weapon in my hands and shot a duck. At that moment I was like a child that has just discovered something new, or a savage who has just seen a radio, or something like that. I lifted the dead bird from the ground, smelled it, touched it all over, and tried very hard to understand what I had just done, and how did “my self” react to what happened. I don’t know whether it was good or bad, but I didn’t have a guilty conscience. It’s not that some kind of the hunters’ instinct has awaken inside me, rather it was a kind of a switcher, that some have, some don’t. It seems I’m among those who have it.

And that delightful look of yours, does it help, or impedes in life?-It often gets in the way. (joyfully smiling) And as an intelligent person, I am perfectly aware that it can’t be any different. Of course it impedes. (very seriously said ) I won’t try to persuade you that I am not aware of my looks. That would be weird, wouldn’t it? But I only bring it to mind, or start thinking about it, when journalists ask questions like this.

And do they ask you that kind of questions, very often?-Constantly. Women persistently pay attention to my physical appearance. But I am aware of the fact that the physical appearance of a man doesn’t play the most important role in his relations with women. And if some men think differently, they are very much mistaken. The “bigger” man you are, the bigger demands and expectations are too, and from the beginning there are some perception standards: if the man is beautiful, he is considered to be stupid or gay.

Our redaction has literally been overloaded with letters, requesting information about Daniil Strahov, the actor who plays Vladimir Korf in “Poor Nastya”. Judging by the audience, Danil Strahov is one of the most desirable men of modern film and theatre.

Is it pleasant to know that thousands of women dream about you?-I usually don’t think about that and I never did. Of course, although unexpectedly, I was very pleased to see that the character I play in the serial became so popular.

You don’t really like when they refer to you as a hero-lover?-Well, I think that a hero-lover type is not demanded in the present Russian film. Today, in general, among the young talented actors you can hardly find those who play roles of hero-lovers. As an actor I am much more demanded for the roles of villains.

And Korf?-Of course, Korf is a heartbreaker. But I am trying to find some other aspects in his character, so as to make him more interesting, and keep the attention of the viewers for many months.

And what about your fans, what are they ready to do for you?-I don’t like the word “fans”. Viewers, who like my work, show their emotions in many different ways. Some interpret it with love, some criticize. So many people, so many opinions.

An actor is a public man. If you already have chosen this profession, you must have known that you were going to be a public man, always. Then why would you say:”Ah, I am so tired of my fans, and journalists. How bored I am, with all that!” Is it insincere?-It is possible. However, actors too are only humans. They eat, drink, sleep, love, as everybody else. And sometimes we also want to go to the store, walk down the street and go to the cinema, but without being noticed. People applying for drama schools don’t fully realize what it means to be constantly exposed. That’s why people who have already chosen that profession need to be ambitious. And they mustn’t complain to destiny if they are already given a chance.

And if destiny doesn’t change, they can become stars….-Stars are in the sky. And when they say a man is a star I think they stop seeing him as a simple human being. The very thought of the “star“ is an aspiration to convert the man into some sparkling substance deprived of human qualities.
Do you consider yourself a good actor?-That is the question you have to ask the audience. I think I still have to learn a lot.

The American Acting School, in particular, consists of a variety of methods that are offered to a student as a help, in order for him to be able to transmit emotions he doesn’t really experience. The School of Stanislavskiy, on the contrary, teaches you to live trough the emotions. Which of those two schools is closer to you?-You’re acquainted with American Acting School better than I am, undoubtedly. If you refer to the school of emotions and worries, I got used to give my very essence. I hope that I won’t get lazy with years to come, and that my work won’t become cliché-ridden. One needs to know his limits. There was an actor, working with Stanislavkiy, who would forget himself in playing every time he went on stage, so he would always end up in an orchestra hole. Konstantin Sergeyevich tried to figure out if he was a genius or an idiot. He thought for a long time, looked at him, and then figured out: the actor was an idiot. And that’s why I think that acting is a game. And an actor mustn’t forget himself in playing.

Some actors can’t get to a normal condition for a long time after the play, they get into a state of certain hysteria. How quickly do you manage to leave your role behind and return to normal?-A few times I was very upset after a play, and I couldn’t sleep for several hours. This always happened after „Platonov”. I usually couldn’t fall asleep until morning. Obviously, not only actors need to know how to switch quickly.

And what is your secret, how do you switch your mood after a play?-I don’t have a recipe. Sometimes I take valerian, sometimes a glass of vodka, or I play a computer game or watch TV.

I heard that you have a passion for hunting...-Yes. The hunter instinct came out. When I have a couple of days free, I go to Veliki Luki with a friend. Basically because of the duck hunting.

Are you hazardous? -Yes, I am, but I prefer not to gamble.

Do you have any idols in your profession?-There are actors from whom I try to learn the skill. But I don’t have any idols. I remember when I was in the third grade I tried to look like my classmates: I collected stamps, badges. But soon I realized that wasn’t me.

How did you get along with your classmates?-I always had many friends, regardless of our sometimes completely different interests.

Do you get depressive sometimes?-When things turn out wrong in work, I usually get depressive. When you realize that you pity yourself, that you could have done things better….

So, what you’re saying is that we shouldn’t pity ourselves?-No. That won’t do you any good. We also shouldn’t indulge our weaknesses.

Daniil, which one do you follow more often- your heart or your reason?-In work the reason prevails over emotions. However, I strive for balance.

Isn’t actors` profession the very one that assumes more emotions than reason?-It depends how you see it. The more balanced a man is, the bigger possibilities he’s got in acting.

Can you be happy for the success of the others?-Of course, only I don’t like going to a theatre as a regular spectator lately. Because I cannot stay loose and watch the play like any other person does. I start thinking about details: what were the director’s ideas and demands, how did the actors do their job… and when I can’t understand everything, it torments me. That’s why I prefer not to know how something has been made. It is more simple with films. You follow the action, and you enjoy it. And if it is some serious film and you don’t know how it`s been shot, again you start trying to dig out all the details.. For example, I’ve never understood the art of Tarkovskiy. Of course I didn’t dispute his geniality, but I’ve never really felt it. Not long ago, I turned on “Andrey Rublov” by accident, and I couldn’t tear myself away from it. I suddenly understood how brilliantly done it was, how well-thought every sequence was, every detail, every millimeter in changing sequences, every piece of mud that lay on the ground. I was simply in a state of amazement.

Daniil, of all your theatre plays, which one do you like the most?-All my theatre plays give me huge satisfaction, and I hope I’ll continue doing them in the future.

The Price of Insurance(There is a play of the words here involving Strahov and Strahovka (Insurance)

He takes his time while spreading out all the implements over the table, then starts on producing his own-made cigars – wrapping up tabacco in a thin parchment leaf, using a strange object to link the filter. Having lit the cigar, he jauntily throws the black coat over his shoulders and immediately gets this look of a romantic lover, in the old and a bit outdated meaning of this term. His eyes reveal even portions of reflection, melancholy, and cynicism. This look is exactly what made millions of women addicted to his Baron Korf from Bednaya Nastya series.

ELLE: Why do you smoke self-made cigars? Don’t you trust local producers?Daniil Strahov: They put lots of garbage inside. Sure enough, mine are full of crap as well, but at least they taste good. I always balance somewhere between tobacco and a pipe. Well, I’m not taking snuff, just smoking tobacco, you know. And when you smoke self-made cigars, at least you can be sure these are not fast-food products.

ELLE: Yuriy Sharok,a charming villain, your part in Detie Arbata (DA) series, is quite persuasive in his attempt to step over bodies in order to get what he wants. What did you do to excuse this hero at least for yourself?D.S.: He’s not a complete villain. He’s just a man who cannot make a right choice. However, his incredible luck helped him stay afloat for quite a long time.

ELLE: You could compete with your part in DA in terms of reticence. I’ve looked through a dozen of interviews and still couldn’t grasp much of your true self – it was all smooth, fine, right, and nothing more. D.S. (laughing): It’s just because I’m always writing the stuff. I mean, I speak smoothly as if reading some cheating notes.
ELLE: Your female fans are filling the Internet with desperate cries: Oh my God! He’s married!D.S. Oh, you see, there’s at least something you got to know about me.

ELLE: You once said you could describe your student years as the most awful ever. Why?D. S. It was terrible! Constant headaches, studying was extremely hard, it seemed to me that I had failed in everything. Oh good, it’s cold (touching his cup of coffee). I had to deal with sophisticated material, like Heidegger’s works. Just imagine – even though I consider myself a sophisticated young man, I hardly remember anything of that material. I‘ve got a short memory, to tell you the truth.

ELLE: Your coffee is cold, your cigars are self-made. You’re a perfectionist! Have you got any gut feeling about such a huge success of Bednaya Nastya?D.S. Well, I’m not a prophet, right? However, the thought to refuse this role never crossed my mind. Firstly, it was my first leading part, and the leading part is not the thing you’re going to refuse. Secondly, this was the first role of my type.

ELLE: Handsome and reflexive? D.S. No one wants the lover type in the film industry these days. Why? I can’t find a simple answer for a complicated question like this. But I’ll tell you this: thanks to its pseudo-historical essence, Bednaya Nastya helped me take the role that at least matched my appearance. That’s why I treasured this offer very much.

ELLE: Your theater works were quite impressive, however, it was Bednaya Nastya that gained you a massive popularity. Don’t you feel uncomfortable about it? D. S. Absolutely, I dream of the Big Movie! But first I need a good offer. I met a friend of mine once at the Moscow Film Festival who asked ‘Danya, what’s happening with you, why do you only play in TV series? Why don’t we see you in the Big Movie?’ I stoned completely frustrated and embarrassed, and my first thought was, ‘Right, I must be going in the wrong direction’. And as some time passed, there came the second thought, ‘I should have answered him ‘Yeah, so why don’t I see you at Cannes???’

ELLE: What are the drawbacks of the TV popularity?D.S. Sometimes you’d love to go out without being recognized, but it’s not possible for most of the time.

ELLE: How does your wife feel about your popularity? D. S. Being an actress, she could be in my shoes. However, there are certain things that annoy her. What really matters is that my popularity didn’t change our relationship whatsoever. You see, we’ve survived through all the problems, lack of money, numerous rented apartments. The trick is not to lose yourself. Money, comfortable life conditions matter a lot and make your life easier; however, this is not what really makes you happy after all.

ELLE: You’re not a party person, are you?D. S. Some are confident that attending all the parties is crucial for our work. Well, perhaps, that’s what they really need. As for myself, I can’t develop useful connections at parties. Do you really believe in a Big Director once spotting my picture and exclaiming: ‘Oh! Why not offer Strahov a leading part’? Showing up everywhere is just some en vogue style these days, I believe.

ELLE: Or you may call it a TV-type self-advertisement, of a sort? Like an actor, say, Sidorov, shows up on TV with his wife planting something in his garden, and the next day he’s cooking something, although without his wife this time, etc. D. S. I hope this will never happen to me. I’m fully aware it’ll be impossible to stay in the spotlights for quite long, because as soon as tomorrow Bednaya Sveta shows up, you’ll be drawn. However, cooking on TV won’t fix the things.

ELLE: There’s a well-known fact that beautiful women are scared of getting old. What about a beautiful man?D. S. I’m not a model, right? I’m fully aware of my film type, but there’s still hope: perhaps I’ve got something more than that? (Laughing). There’s this newspaper I’ve read recently narrating of the middle-age crisis typical for a 30 years old man, and it stroke my mind: this was exactly what I feel in my 28. I’m outstripping the events, as you may see.

ELLE: Is your life easier because you are handsome?D.S. I don’t really like the subject, frankly. Because as soon as I dare to say I don’t care about all this, an immediate response comes: “Let’s see what you would’ve whistled, had you been an ugly freak!’ Therefore I try not to concentrate on my appearance because it causes me more troubles, than good, really.

ELLE: Oh come on, even I won’t buy this! Beauty is a carte blanche!D.S. I’m serious! The things got a bit easier these days, because I managed to convince at least some people that there’s something more behind my pretty face. As I said before – no one wants the lover type today. Sure enough, some might argue: Right, Strahov is just raising his price. Even though the common belief that the beauty is a carte blanche , itis nothing more than a pretty myth, coming along with the delusion that the richer a man is, the happier he is. Happiness lies somewhere beyond this. And the truth lies somewhere deep inside our hearts anyway.

ELLE: What are the brightest memories of your teenage?D. S. Oh, this was the gloomiest period of my life, because I was frustratingly clueless of who I was and what to do about that.

ELLE: Okay, now as we’ve come to that, what was your most recent disappointment? D. S. What has recently disappointed me was that having made a mistake, I’ve suddenly realized I couldn’t prevent myself from making the same mistake all over again. Your teenage period deceitfully makes you believe the more mistakes you make, the more you learn how to escape them afterwards, how to develop into a new person. And as soon as you realize that two plus two does not necessarily make four, it means you’ve grown up!

This young, intelligent actor had time to play for many theatres: the Gogol theatre, the Moscow City Council or the small Bronnoy theatre. But the viewers know him from the series The Children of Arbat, The Talisman of Love and Poor Nastya.

Daniil, how did you feel when you became known? This happened after you played the role of Vladimir Korf in Poor Nastya?-I didn’t exactly feel the glory. I put all my effort into my work. But I wasn’t in the streets. I appeared at the same time in 3 movies: The Astrologer, The Children of Arbat and Poor Nastya. In 24 hours I was converted from baron Korf to Yuri Sharok, and then to Volodia Vdovichenkov. And after two hours Poor Nastya would begin again. It wasn’t very well for me from a physical and emotional point of view. Sometimes I felt I was going insane.

That was a serious pressure on the organism.-But what could I have done about it? It was an oportunity, and I had to take advantage of it.

I have heard of actors who cannot control the emotions of their characters and let them pass into their off-stage life.- It is well known that acting conceals many temptations. It would be foolish not to admit this. But each person has his own temptations, whether he is an actor, a photographer or a journalist. They just have to make a choice. One can either fight the temptatin and resist, or lose himself in this fight. It is rather complicated to speak about this subject, especially for people who have public lives.

Are you not afraid to play negative characters? Or mystical ones, such as that of Dorian Gray?-I don’t fear that. I have my mysticism, in my life. As any actor, I am superstitious up to a degree. If I have to play something, then so be it. Acting consists in presenting different faces of the human manifestations. It is necessary to present negative aspects sometimes. But if the character dies, it doesn’t mean that his death is the best solution.

How do you relax?-I still love hunting. Those who don’t hunt think that hunters are killers. But in the animal world murder doesn’t bear the moral nuances it has for humans. The moral rules of society can no longer be applied in the nature. It is a competition, kind of a war. There are predators. We all eat meat. I don’t kill fish with dynamite, nor poach.

Your wife, Maria Leonova, was your work partner. Was it hard to be on the stage together?-There was a psychological barrier during the rehearsals. From a point of view, she was not a partner, but a person very close to me, whom I knew to the smallest cell. There is a danger of creating a so-called family theatre. The more you work with that person, the less objective can you be when it comes to the play. But we haven’t worked together for a long time.

You talk about your profession at home?-It is impossible not to, especially when you really like it. I think there are two types of families. When a person finds his half, who has no connection to his profession, there is a separation between family life and professional life. The second version would be represented by people who share the same interests. Masha and I discuss everything that happens in our professional life and that of our partners.

What do you think about the title of sex-symbol?-I cannot think about it otherwise than with irony.

Do you have an ideal concerning women?-Yes, my ideal is my wife, Masha.

How long have you been together?- For eight years. After 5 years living together, we got married.

But for a complete family you also need children, don’t you? Or do you intend to dedicate your life to your career?
-We are thinking about this. There’s a time for everything.

Tell me about your parents.- I grew up in a classical intelligent Moscow family. My grandfather worked as a senior engineer. My grandmother was the head of one of the subdivisions of aerology. My mother is a psychoterapist, and my father a philologist. It’s complicated to say why I became an actor. My family is traditional, in the good sense of the word.

How often do you visit your father? He lives in Boston?-We see each other rather seldom, in time units there can be months or years between our meetings. He left for America while the Soviet Union still existed. He hasn’t changed the country, the city or the appartment. He is the classical example of the scientist who lives for his work.

Would you like to live in Hollywood? There are more possibilities for an actor there.-Why does it matter so much? I love my country and I wish it all the best. I am often asked this question about Hollywood. The fact that my father lives in the US doesn’t give me a chance to succeed there. It is very difficult to respond to their demands concerning the character types. Furthermore, there is the problem of the accent. In order to have a successful career in a country where people speak English, you have to be born there or at least to grow up there.

How did your mother react when you chose this profession?-She was very happy, and I am grateful for that. If someone would have given me more details, I would have probably thought better. There are many negative aspects, but they shouldn’t be mentioned, because the spectators must have the sensation of mystery.

Your mother is a psychoterapist. In her profession there are many secret components, apart from the skill. But acting implies appealing to subconsciousness?- There is probably a resemblance between our professions. Alegorically speaking, they are neighbours living on the same floor.

The Moscow Theatre discovered him after the successful premiere of Andrey Zhitinkin’s “The Portrait of Dorian Gray”. This assured many people the he will have a bright future in the theatre. He is talented and organized. But he did not resign himself only to the theatre. He turned as successful in the cinema, so that it was necessary to distribute him in three major projects at a time: Poor Nastya, Zvezdochet and The Children of Arbat. This past year he has already appeared on the big screen, in Alexander Rogozhkin’s movie Peregon. What will happen next…

Daniil, now do you have enough work or do you want more?I cannot say that it is too much, but it would be a sin to complain in this moment. The present projects are just fine. I could be involved in more, without being panicked.

It is difficult for many actors to get to the big screen. Do you consider you succeeded?I still have to wait for the result. If it means living in the spotlights and being glamorous, then no. But it’s foolish not to do your best to get there. On the other hand, I would say yes, since I played in Rogozhkin’s Peregon, and for me this was a great happening. It goes without saying I would like to go on like this, but I will be able to see if it becomes reality or not after at least half a year.

Does the stage bore you?Presently, I have no contact with the theatre. I worked for a company. Enlarging the field, doing more than theatre, brings one faster, constant earnings. But I do not need to go from city to city , thank God! As far as stationary theatre is concerned, I consider it an old system, where no change takes place. It is difficult to be part of it. You have to be subordinated to the general manager and to the entire theatrical system. As it happened with the Gogol theatre, contradictions begin sooner or later. For instance, the manager forgot that he had let me go on tour with another theatre, and the tickets to the plays were already sold. So you have to choose one or the other. However, in the small Bronnoy theatre, I had to decide: is it worth remaining until the crisis caused by the misunderstandings between the manager and the director ends? If you are in the middle of a dispute and you are invited to play in three series simultaneously, what will you go for? Without any doubt for the latter. I haven’t been called by a theatre for a long while. Usually, it would go like this: “Come, Daniil, we understand you’re very busy, but we’ll agree on a time, which suits both parties, and we’ll give you a role…” “What kind of role?”, I would ask. They would answer: “Come here first, and then we’ll see.” It’s the same thing! Of course I would get angry.

Would you have entered the MKHT if Tabakov hadn’t received you?He didn’t receive me. When I entered the school of the Moscow Art Theatre, he didn’t want me there. He did not want anybody. He told our future teacher, Leontyev, that he doesn’t need me, that he should advance Nikolayevich. Nevertheless, he looked at me again and took me in. If he hadn’t taken me in, I would be still unknown and I wouldn’t have the life I have now.

What did you want to become in your childhood?I just wanted to have a beautiful life. Not extraordinary, because there was no glamour whatever; there were the 90s: freedom, Victor Tsoy, the White house, tanks, vodka. I got the illusion that acting was nice and not monotonous. I entered the school theatre, under the lead of Vadim Zlotnikov. It was called Fantasy and it was very popular. Vadim made miracles with the children; they quit smoking, drinking, fighting, they came to the theatre, they sang, they acted. I won’t say that he always skipped the rehearsals, but I remember that he played drunk in “The Dragon”. He wore a pilot’s jacket, from World War I, and it was all torn, and pieces came out of it when he moved. I also wore my usual clothes. And the role of the cat was my first major one. This influenced my choice of a future career, as well as Vyacheslav Tikhonov and Sthirlits. When I saw him, I thought: “Am I worse than him?”. I could be clever and silent like him. Then cable television appeared, and at night, besides indecent films, they showed good movies, which was a revelation for me. For instance, I remember I was impressed by “The Midnight Express”. I can’t explain why it had such a great impression on me. Of course it influenced me.

They frequently ask you for autographs. In your time, whose autographs did you collect?It’s interesting I never asked for one. In my first years, I had as partners Alexandr Filippenko and Vyacheslav Nevinn, but it never crossed my mind to ask them for an autograph.

Have you ever thought that they did not specifically prepare for that profession?I think it’s possible sometimes to study something else. I don’t think there is a time when you simply decide to choose acting. It must come alone. I have recently learned that Alexandr Akopov’s producer school was his first and last experience of the kind. I would say that it was unprecedented for Russia, since we’ve never had so many producers at a time, and so well prepared, nor will we have. This includes everything: operator skills, management, dramaturgy, and the seminars of Alexandr Mitt. Besides being very interesting, this experience has enlarged my views on acting and has broadened my domain of action. Formerly, as a simple artist, I saw the complexities of the shooting process. For example, it’s necessary to shoot six minutes a day to have a quality control of the images. Why exactly six minutes? Now I have understood.

Are you a strong person?To be honest, no. Those who believe they are strong are mistaken. Force is a relative concept. I quit thinking myself strong, as if I dictate the rhythm of things, as if I can change something. I cannot change anything with this attitude.

Where does your weakness come from? From the fact that I fear looking weak. It’s complicated to see around the wall I build around me. I’m rarely honest with people who don’t know me. I don’t think this is a weakness, but rather a quality.( He laughs.)

You are considered cold, narcissistic and snobbish. But they don’t think why you are like this…I don’t know if I should reply to this. There are things that happen independent of our will. I’m not everybody’s friend. I tried this, but the effect was negative. I am an open person in general, I don’t know why they think like that about me. It’s useless to try and convince them I’m different from what they believe; they’ll never do that. They must have a pattern which they follow no matter what.(He laughs.) It’s a stereotype, and I cannot guess why they put me into it.

Do you believe that by being more open in interviews and revealing more details about your life, you could change something?But why should I bring the press into my bedroom? What would change? It would be no good. There are too many articles about stars revealing their lives. I understand that for many it’s interesting to learn when Strahov goes to the bathroom, but it’s inadmissible to write about this. It makes me sick to see with what frankness some stars present their private affairs to the public. The more they know about someone, the sooner they loose their interest. I made up my mind what subject I should speak about and what I shouldn’t mention. It’s not a secret I’m married to Maria Leonova. It’s easy to see me with her, since I don’t keep her locked in the dungeon, taking her out to breathe fresh air sometimes.

Are you easy to deal with?I am a difficult person. But somehow people can control me, and this creates a balance.

Do you need to be an interesting husband?Things happen naturally. I don’t try to be like anyone. I’m not the type of the all mighty husband, therefore we’ll reach the sky together or fall together.

In your opinion, who is more successful as an actor?If we’re speaking about more falls, then I am. But quality is relative, we’ll see afterwards. I haven’t yet seen Larissa Sadilov’s movie in which Masha played, but I wouldn’t be surprised if, after seeing it, I’ll leave and say: “Masha, it’s time for me to pack my bags and quit acting”. Because she is very talented. But you need more than talent.

Do you have enough time for each other? We’re trying to spend as much time as possible together. Were not sacrificing other things, we just choose what is important and what we can skip. It’s dangerous to do this nowadays, because if you refuse an invitation once or twice, they won’t call you again. You have to be a sprinter and even that is not enough. You won’t last long, no matter what. I hope I’m here to stay.

Are you happy with your life?I’m happy I’m alive. That I am more or less successful in my career, that I am capable to support my family, my wife, and if I have to, my closest relatives. It would be wrong to complain. Of course I want more, but retirement is still far ahead.

SelectionCity: Moscow
Cell phone: I don’t want to advertise
Watch: expensive
Drinks: cognac
Clothes: Mark, a casual style, I don’t look at the labels
Car: Japanese
Keeping fit: I run in the morning around the garage
Restaurant: I won’t name any, as I don’t want to lose the peace I enjoy there
Club: I’m not a club-goer
Cuisine: any
Holiday place: Paris, where my friends live
Perfume: those given by my wife and friends
Cigarettes: I don’t smoke
Stylist: I don’t see why I should need one
Colour: I have no preference
Shop: I can’t stand them

“At the Civil Registry Office they asked us: “Where are the young ones?” “We are!”

They avoid working together, they do not know any jokes about mothers in law and consider the conversations about acting senseless. Everybody remembers the enticing baron Korf from “Bednaya Nastya”, the playboy from “Vsegda Govori Vsegda”, and the heroes in the plays “Chicatilo”, “The Portrait of Dorian Gray”, “Caligula”… These made the public fall in love with the beautiful actor Daniil Strahov, who was even given a “Seagull” award in 2001. Meanwhile, it’s ten years since he fell in love with his wife, actress Maria Leonova. In July, the movie “Naturshitsa” will have the premiere, movie in which the two husbands played together for the first time, in spite od Daniil’s iron rule not to play in the same film with Masha.

Daniil, after appearing with Masha in the play Bezottsovshchina, you said you will never work together. How come you agreed to “Naturshitsa”?Daniil: From my point of view, “Naturshitsa” confirmed the rule again: it was hard for me to play in this movie, and it was partly because of Masha being there. But the script made me curious, and after seeing Masha act, I understood that I hadn’t been mistaken: she did a very good job, even though her role was less important than mine. But I do not think that my part in “Naturshitsa” was completely open. I think my character could have been different, and that would have made him more interesting. Anyway, it’s the story of two people, Sofiya Pshebyshevskoya and Vyacheslav Eshenbakh. The other heroes offer only the background for the drama. It’s up to the public to decide what came out of this.

But how did you end up in this movie?Maria: I think Danya suggested the director to choose me…
D.: I suggested nothing! Masha had a test for the main part independent of me.
M.: I wasn’t bad in the tests, but I didn’t get the main part; at that moment I didn’t have enough experience with the cinema. And when they offered me this episodic role, I agreed instantly. I played a woman who has lost her husband. She loses reason because of the grief and she suspects each person that enters her house of having killed her husband. Daniil played the brother of this woman, who takes her and her child to live with him.

Did you have many scenes together?D.: We were together only one day, but it was very difficult.
M.: We promised ourselves many times that we wouldn’t work together, but here it was necessary… Daniil helped me, he guided me from aside. It was hard for me, since it was my first appearance on the big screen, and I had to do a complex scene…

How did you prepare for the part? Nona Mordyukova said during a show that when she had to play the part of a crazy woman, she behaved accordingly for several days in order not to lose her state.D.: To be honest, I regard these scenes as connected to irony. With due respect to Nona Viktorovna, I believe she only made the people turn up their noses. She is a great actress, so this wasn’t very difficult for her. Generally, it’s of bad taste to ask the actors to speak about how they get into the role. Nevertheless, they asked an actor: “As you were shooting, rooks flew over your head?” And he took the brush and he painted. But he had played a part.

But when you played Chikatilo, you must have read the books about it, to be informed…D.: If there would be special rules for acting, everybody would be brilliant actors. Or do you think I read the biography of Chikatilo and then rushed to the stage? It doen’s happen like that!
M.: In this movie, for example, the main thing for me was to get into the psychology of my character. If you don’t succeed this, everything else is useless. After I played, a relative asked me: “How did you manage to do this?” It turned out that there were some things I could not explain even to myself, and when I described that technique, I couldn’t use it the following time. I had to find completely different ways.
D.: To what concerns Chikatilo, it was a long time ago and I do not consider it very important. Journalists like to ask about it. But what can I say if we played it in Moscow only once?

Yes, they do, and they have written about it very much. Its fame came from the reviews.D.: Quite right! Andrei Zhitinkin was brilliant in the organization of his work since people still speak about this play. he deserves applauses! But, in my opinion, from a dramaturgic point of view, the play isn’t so important. It was an experimental, avant-gardist play, based on non standard vocabulary.
M.: Then it was only like that!
D.: Yes, then it was something new and unprecedented, although those who are familiar with the history of the theatre know that it isn’t so. Real life is one thing, and the life presented on the stage is another. Any text receives another sense, another symbolism on the stage. This is hard not only for the spectators, but also for the actors. And I cannot say I liked it, on the contrary. But I tried to find something interesting in this play, it was a curious task for me.

Are you materialistic in real life?D.: Yes, and I’m proud of that. I would be a hypocrite not to take advantage of what I am offered.
M.: I am materialistic too. So what?
D.: Masha, be more specific. The readers take the words literally.

Daniil, after great reviews for your acting on the stage, there were two years when you worked nowhere. Did you have doubts about choosing this profession?D.: No, it wasn’t like that. When I left the Gogol theatre, I remained as an independent actor in the theatre of the City Council of Moscow, and once a month I played in “Twelfth Night”. But I felt no connection to that theatre; I had no desire to work for them or to wait for main parts. I had no doubts… I think that each person who takes his job seriously(this doesn’t mean to walk in rags and to sleep with Stanislavski’s volume under the pillow) and who dreams all his life of attaining a goal thinks about what happens in his life, about the place he has in the theatre world, about what he played and what he did not play. Of course, there’s mischievousness in this profession. It’s true that there are people who play without having any feeling, and I envy them. I’m different. I voluntarily try to be mischievous, but sometimes I understand when it’s time to stop.

You did so in that period? D.: Yes. I did nothing. I lay on the sofa, I read books and rotted slowly. The crisis in 1998 left out the students and the seniors, in 1999 they produced few movies. The theatres began to release the actors…

Masha, all this time you were working for the Gogol theatre. Were you the breadwinner of the family?D.: None of us was, we both sucked our thumbs.
M.: Our parent helped us in every way possible. My wage was 300 rubles, Daniil earned 100. We had enough to go to a café sometimes.(She laughs) In the remaining time we ate dumplings.

And how did you feel about Daniil’s doubts?D.: We were in the same position. I had no experience back then. We felt the same thing as the other people. I won’t say we were totally hopeless. We had the romanticism of the young and poor. We couldn’t find where to work, but nobody could, so there was no envy between colleagues. So, my suffering image was far-fetched to an extent by journalists. I haven’t been chained and I haven’t begged for money.

And what role ended this situation?D.: It was Chikatilo. Everything began there. Andrei Zhitinkin first offered me a small role in “The Merchant of Venice”, then he tested me for Chikatilo, after which he was unexpectedly appointed at the lead of the small Bronnoy theatre, and a new page was turned in my life, connected to “Dorian Gray” and “Caligula”. I cannot thank enough to Zhitinkin. Although, to what concerned me, I wasn’t internally ready yet for such roles.

It is said that in those years all Moscow went to see Daniil…Masha, weren’t you afraid because of the numerous fans of your husband?M.: Actually, the main shift took place after “Bednaya Nastya”. The craze started then.
D.: But it wasn’t general. For instance, we lived in a block of flats, and it was a long time before our neighbours discovered that I was “poor Vova” himself. (He laughs). No one believed that baron Korf lives in a block of flats without elevator, on the fifth floor. They all thought I lived “in a three-room apartment with bad repair ", as the “Gold Ring” wrote.
M.: And they also wrote that I had a $30,000 fur coat and that the neighbours come with a thermometer to measure the temperature of the water in the bathroom. That’s so stupid!
D.: We lived in a middle class block, where each was on his own. Moreover, we always argued about the parking places. So my neighbours were more disturbed by my “nine”, which stood under the windows, than by my modest self. A lot of years later they realized who lived near them…
M.: And then they started to say: “Yes, he was here all his life, his grandmother lived here, and his great-grandmother. They were wonderful women!”. Although it was my brother’s apartment and we lived there for five years. (She laughs) Then I started joking with Danya about having become the honourable citizen Perovo.

Some actors produce rumours about fur coats and neighbours themselves…D.: And they are right to an extent. They understand that they cannot avoid this and they take the situation in their hands. I remember that Kostya Khabenskiy and Misha Porechenkov had a similar interview. The journalists eagerly wrote about this and then they understood, by comparing their notes, that two friends had deceived the entire journalistic world. They brought the situation to an absurd point, after which it remained like that. I started giving interviews when I was only 25. Unfortunately, back then I didn’t have the adult cynicism it takes to play such tricks to the journalists.

We shall stop speaking about the neighbours. But how did the people on the street behave towards Daniil?M.: It was enough for someone to point a finger in his direction and they all rushed to the car… The same people came to the plays, they always sat in the front row and waited for him when he had finished. It all happened very fast, and it lasted.
D.: But it was also a positive thing. I received many letters, and sometimes I was even impressed to tears. Indeed, “Bednaya Nastya” wasn’t a cinema masterpiece, and after years I can be honest and admit this. But back then people watched the series and they wrote that it had helped them, that it had saved them from something.

It is said that you often spent your nights in a hotel because of the prolonged shootings. D.: Yes, every time you do something new you find it difficult. We shot everything form zero, so we had a 15-16 hour work day. The next day we would do the same, and this lasted for 8 months. To be honest, I felt tired for years after “Bednaya Nastya”. And I also shot for “Deti Arbata” and “Zvezdochet” during that period. Journalists often ask me why I didn’t refuse the roles. And I always reply that an actor who is offered many parts must take them all. Otherwise, he can miss a chance which will not be offered the second time.

And did you agree on the spot to do “Nastya”?D.: Yes. It was perhaps my first part that suited the type of the hero-lover. I instantly felt that the part was for me. And thank God I got it. The casting had lasted a year and a half, and I went almost to the last moment. I knew that the producer, Alexander Akopov, had no wish to call me. Why, he probably cannot recall himself. But this could be one of those legends, I thought to myself, when he fell asleep, he woke up and changed his mind, and this was the truth.

Did you have time to see your wife? Since you had to spend the night in a hotel…D.: Well, if I had spent all my time in the hotel, we probably wouldn’t be here now. There are some limits. Indeed, sometimes there was no point in going home at night; we had to be back in three hours. I created a story about this, saying that me and Petr Krasilov never went home. Of course we went! We had to shave, if you excuse me.

But you also shot for “Deti Arbata” and “Zvezdochet”.D.: You insist that I couldn’t see Masha? I saw her, I can assure you!

Then describe how you met each other!M.: We studied at the Pike. At first we just talked, then we met again, then we lost touch, and we were reunited… We both went to the Gogol theatre and we have become closer. Since then we are together.

Later Daniil said that it was hard for him at school, and the stress gave him headaches… M.: I think his head was ill because he was hungry.(She laughs)
D.: And because I drank, some still reproach me.

You drank in a black way?M.: Everybody drinks in a black way in the first years as student…
D.: But then I drank in the white way!

Did you play together during school?M.: We played independent of each other. We were supposed to have a play by Turgheniev together, but it didn’t go as expected.
D.: That play was dreadful. We still hadn’t understood it was better if we didn’t play together.

Masha, do you remember how Daniil courted you? Did he give you flowers?D.: (whispers) Admit I didn’t court you! There was no money for flowers. We ripped flowers from the park in front of the City Council, and that was good. The most important is the romantic attitude of the people towards life and towards each other, this is what connects them. If you don’t have that, you have nothing. It’s remarkable if you manage to keep that. The flowers and all the other things only help you. The most important for a woman is to have your attention.

Does Daniil give you flowers on celebrations?M.: None at all! For instance, we didn’t mark March 8th in any way.
D.: Just think about this: it is necessary to give flowers to the woman only that day and in the remaining 364 days it isn’t? And if you take the tube on March 8th, God forbid, you are squashed by the multitude of drunk men. And they sit down, while the women stand up.

And how did you propose to Masha?D.: Propose what? My hand and my heart? When we reached the Civil Registry Office, we signed the papers and then we left each for his business. The clerk couldn’t believe we would marry that way, and he asked us: “Where are the young ones?” And we said “We are!”. But in the evening we celebrated without any hurry.
M.: From the traditional elements of the wedding, we only preserved the ring. It was very beautiful.

Generally speaking, why did you decide to get married?D.: For the sake of convenience. In hotels they forbid unmarried couples to stay in the same room.
M.: If we have to be serious, we did it because it was time. Before that, we had lived together for four years without any stamp on our bulletins.

Weren’t your parents offended? One usually organizes a wedding for the sake of the family.D.: It wouldn’t have been enough to get married for our parents’ sake. Few people knew that we had got married.
M.: And my parents came in the evening and congratulated us. Thank god, they understood how we thought. But many of our friends tell us we should have a “normal” wedding, like “all the people”.
D.: In the Victory Park, with lots of people! Obviously, our parents aren’t people. (He laughs)
M.: Generally, we have done everything ourselves. No one interfered in our lives.

Daniil, you said you were a difficult son…D.: I would say I am still. I live on my own since I was 15, I take responsibility for my acts and no one tries to interfere in my life. I have a good relationship with my in-laws. I don’t know any jokes about mothers-in law, and I don’t even call her by her patronymic name.

If it’s not a secret, do you plan to have children, or are your careers more important?D.: No, the career doesn’t come first. It shall be as God wishes.

Daniil, in “Vsegda Govori Vsegda”, the beautiful and educated character you played had a very dull wife. Is that plausible?D.: Totally, if you ask me. It often happens that two people who are different marry and they have a happy life together. It’s another thing to make this a three part story, because it needs a development, and there was none. So I said to the script writers: “Guys, I can’t do this any more. You either change the story or you leave me out.” It was a pity they did it clumsily: they phoned me and they told me my hero had died. Thank God the funeral didn’t happen in the eighth part.
M.: But I also appeared in one of the episodes, in the role of the dishwasher!
D.: Yes, that was like a joke. Masha came by to pay me a visit, and they made her appear in that episode.

Daniil, you have recently started to shoot for “Sudevnaya Kolonka”(“The Judicial Column”). D.: Yes, lately I have been playing militia parts. Here I am playing the senior inspector of the Office of the Public Prosecutor on especially important issues. (He smiles). And we have a normal pace of shooting, we mustn’t have five episodes a week like we did with “Bednaya Nastya”. Perhaps I’m not capable of that any more.

Now there are all kind of shows with the stars on TV. Were you invited to take part in any of them?D.: Yes, in many: in the circus, in the zoo, on ice, under the ice, even to boxing. But I refused and I hope life won’t force me to change my mind. I work as an organism, starting from my feet and ending with my face, and I didn’t want to injure myself during the somersault or any bad executed exercise. This present folly is neither good, nor bad, but rather it’s a reality. I understand that there must be channels except “Culture”, I am completely tolerant, but I have to take care of my spine.

You rejected at once, or did you think about it?D.: Sometimes I asked “How much money would I get?” This question always settles things down. Many actors use it to cut off the incorrect and unnecessary offers. The organizer of the show “Great races” objected: “But you are defending the honour of your country!” And I asked: “ Do you really think that?” Because the only thing that came to my mind was the word “business”. No, you can see who enjoys doing this and who doesn’t. I’m not probably that romantic and I’m generally a bad partner.

Daniil, is it true that your acting agency has offered you parts in western movies?D.: I don’t belong to an agency. But I was sometimes offered roles in the foreign cinema. Between the last ones was a part in “War and peace”, which was shot across Europe. They proposed me to play, this is terrible to say, the Emperor of Russia, but I refused. I was engaged in “Sledoipity”(“The Pathfinders”), where my hair had to be very short, and for “War and peace” I needed curly hair. And, generally, I had the suspicion they didn’t know what they wanted. I’m not sorry; every time they have screened the Russian classics abroad they only got the public’s laughter.

Have you had any more offers?D.: Yes, but then they were gone, they gradually faded away.

Regarding your name… Do you fear anything?D.: Of course I do! In reality every person fears something. A man with no fears is not a man.

Daniil Strahov does not look for the easy ways in his profession. The name of the beautiful and talented actor became known first in the theatrical circles. For his performances in “Petersburg” and “The Portrait of Dorian Gray” Daniil has received awards. Then it was the time for series. From baron Korf in “Bednaya Nastya” toDmitry Grozovskog, the handsome manager of an advertising agency in “Vsegda Govori Vsegda”, he got the women’s attention. Today 31-years old Strahov is involved in large projects in the cinema. He does not want to waste his energy on trifles and tries to solve difficult tasks.

Cinema

Daniil, nowadays there are many actors that appear in series but who never appear on the big screen. You have succeeded in doing so.I didn’t think about this thoroughly. In fact, it’s not like in America where there are only actors that do series. But remember that all the big American actors started with series, for example Bruce Willis or George Clooney. So it largely depends on how you work, on the role you are assigned and on your performance.

But at present you are involved more in the cinema and less in series.I believe that the Russian cinema is going through a bright period, different from what it was before. It’s still at the beginning. There are 300 pictures on “Mosfilm”. Cinema is blooming, and this is good. I am an actor, so I love both the stage and the screen. I let my intuition guide me, I follow the commands of fate. I am not a snob so as to say I only played in movies. It’s better to star in a good series than in a bad movie. Remember what the classics said: “Do your job, and come what may.” I believe “Deti Arbata” was a good film. I played Iury Sharok. I liked Andrei Eshpay’s view on the character. He decided Iury was not an ultimate villain, but a weak person afraid to make choices. So different things happen both in the cinema and in the theatre.

From your answer one can see you have not said a definite “no” to series.That’s right. I am now starring in a new project of Amedia, “The Judicial Column”, a series. Each episode has a different story, and only the main characters appear in all of them. The director and I have come up with the idea that my hero is a clever, successful inspector, a former Interpol agent who now works for the Office of the Public Prosecutor, but he’s not glamorous and self confident. He is far from Bond.

Military drama

Was it difficult to work with Alexandr Rogozhkin in “Peregon”?Each director has his own way of working with the actors. Rogozhkin doesn’t waste time on analyses and discussions. He makes a plan, and he needs the actor to turn his idea into reality. In such situations, the actor must put himself in the hands of the director. Only the result will say if they have been successful. Of course you can improvise, but the director is the one that has the final word.

Now you are involved in another military drama…Yes, “Sledopity”. It’s the fantastic story of four modern young men who think of 1942 . I play a man from the past, lieutenant Dyomin, who becomes the guardian angel of these children. Channel “Russia” invited Canadian director John Attard to supervise the special effects. He has done the special effects for “Gladiator”, “The Black Hawk” and “Lara Croft”. He also brought stunts. Now we’re waiting for the outcome.

You know, an actress confessed that she would like to play in a movie about the army because she thinks it wrong that young boys of 14 see war as a brave thing to do… they are lost.Probably one of the reasons why they shoot military dramas is to prove that there is some sense behind a fight. But the educational purposes? That seems to me an utopia. There should be respect for the elders who fought, but that should be brought up in the family.

Do you want to be a director?No. I haven’t even considered it. Also, after working with Rogozhkin, he told me that what the director dreams about the actors vanishes after the first project.

An actor should always be prepared for an offer

You said you became an actor casually. Had you not chosen acting, what would you have done?Yes, I did not dream about acting. I loved mathematics, and I wanted to enter law. The crazy idea of becoming an actor came to me when I graduated. It was unexpected for me and for my family. They were very surprised. What I would do now? I don’t know. I can’t do anything else. Thank God I have a good career. I am engaged in the theatre, I have offers in the cinema. Of course, life shatters the illusions of youth. But it’s also full of surprises. An actor should always be prepared for an offer. If the destiny offers that lifetime opportunity, you must take it.

Do you have time for the rest? The last time I interviewed you, you said you loved hunting.I have no time. Still, if I can have a break, I like to enjoy the sensation of silence, of loneliness. Only when you are in the middle of the nature you can feel you are a part of the universe.

If you did not have to work, what would you do?I would read, I would try to improve my knowledge…generally, to improve myself. In fact, the most interesting thing is to find yourself.

Vladimir Naumov’s film will have its premiere on November 15th. The author characterizes his new work as “a tragicomedy, a story about love and intrigues, with philosophical motives and elements of the comedy of the absurd”.
[…]
In other roles appear Valery Storozhik, Igor Yasulovich, Natalia Belokhvostikova, Armen Djigarkhanyan, Anatoly Yabbarov, Daniil Strahov, Alexander Adabashyan, Michael Mamayev, Boris ShCherbakov, Victor Sergachev, Alexander Shejn, etc.

Olga (Natalia Naumova) is the daughter of an important businessman. Two years previous to the story, her beloved husband disappeared in the Chechen Republic, and she remembers him constantly. Her colleague Kiril(Daniil Strahov) and her father’s business partner Kostia(Valery Storozhik) try to win her admiration. She does not respond to their affection, but Kostia loves her so much that he is capable of romantic and foolish gestures. […]

Love, happiness, doom pass by as if they were drawn on the asphalt in a minute.

On October 13th the shootings for the 12 episodes of the series Judicial Column have finished. Judicial Column is the name of the new series of the company, whose each episode is independent from the others. Judicial Column is an original product of Amedia. Valer Terniuk, the scriptwriter and creative producer, and Alexei Onishchenko collaborated. Each episode was the work of different directors, young, but already known. The first one was Artem Antonov, who became famous after the release of his film debut with Mist, and whose talent was recognized by professionals. In his opinion, the series differs from other series in the way a video differs from other types of cinema. The approach, the manner of shooting was different, because it focused on the people.

The plot proposed by the script writers is the following: Darya Ivanova, a graduate of the university of journalism, works for a newspaper and writes about everyday society. When she realizes that her section is not interesting, she decides to approach another genre: investigation. Besides, Darya has a boyfriend, prosecutor Anton Nikitin. Counting on his help, Darya becomes the author of the judicial column. […]

For the role of Darya’s boyfriend, Anton Nikitin, 22 actors were invited to the casting, including Grigory Antipenko, Ilya Lyubimov, Evgenie Tsyganov. Actor Daniil Starhov plays this role.

“The shootings were remarkable,” Daniil declared after the first days of work. “I didn’t quite expect that, because during the tests Artem Antonov and I didn’t have the same opinion about how I should play the character. I thought it would take us long to get used to each other, but it was nothing in that way. Artem is very meticulous, takes a lot of doubles, chooses his staff very carefully. I could see he was not indifferent, and he transmitted this state to me.”

The presentation was attended by the leading actors, Karina Razumovskaya and Daniil Strahov, and also Alexey Vertinsky, who was brilliant in his secondary role.

The film reveals the story of an unusual person. 17 years old Alexandra comes to Moscow, to her millionaire grandfather, and with this her carefree life comes to an end. The girl, who had somehow managed to remain innocent and naïve like a child, is rigidly controlled and forbidden to choose the profession she enjoys – drawing. Kind and sympathetic, she is not made for the world of money and violence. It is not a world fit for the weak, and Alexandra appears to be weak…

Actress Karina Razumovskaya has played her part perfectly, very naturally and emotionally.

Daniil Strahov, known for the role of Vladimir Korf in Bednaya Nastya, has impersonated the assistant of Alexandra’s grandfather, Roman, and he has also played excellently. Probably his calling is to play charming rascals.

Alexey Vertinsky has distinguished himself in the role of a Moscow beggar with an interesting life story, whom Alexandra meets in the street.

As a result, Sergey Strusovsk’s movie depicts life from a sad perspective, but watching it means taking a view at our world.

FATEFUL AND DANGEROUSDaniil Strakhov, having starred in "Poor Nastya", "Isaev" and "Children of the Arbat" series in the historical drama "Leningrad 46" on the NTV channel plays not a romantic handsome aristocrat but a cruel bandit. His character works in a circus robbing rich people and becomes one of the most dangerous criminals in the city on the Neva. Before the movie premiere TNR talked to Daniil about his new role and learnt what attracted him to such an uncharacteristic character.

Interview by Mikhail Ruzmanov

In “Leningrad 46" my hero is - to put it mildly - an adventurer. This quality, his power over people, not fearing danger, even enjoying it - that's probably what lies on the surface of his character. In the story, my gang and me, we successfully rob rich people, come up with unconventional moves, we have, so to say, a creative approach to our dark business. Within my role I was to be able to operate a shank – and the main task was to hurt nobody - neither my partners nor myself.""I never agree to work without reading a script. But when talking to Igor Kopylov, director of "Leningrad 46", I felt such a strong energy and desire to fulfill his plan, that the reading of the script was already a matter of formality. One visit for a makeup and costume testing- and I'm on the set. I do not quite understand how this happened to me.""An actor must be able to do a lot of different things. It certainly helps when working on the role. In order to play in "Poor Nastya", for example, I had to learn to fence, and the very first professional skill I mastered was working as a packer at the airport a few days. It was one of the first examinations at the Shchukin Theatre Institute. Since then, I can push the contents of two suitcases into one.""Negative or positive characters is an outdated line of roles, and very conditional. It refers to the classical drama which was black and white. Now we are grayish, whether we like it or not.""My role in the "Isaev" series was a staging point for me. I started feeling differently in the profession, began to treat the whole shooting process in a different way. My attitude towards the public has also changed... The way the spectators are inert and thick-skinned in their desire to watch the anticipated, how changeable is their attention. Also, "Isaev" made me self-confident.""Mentally I was not prepared for the spectator’s popularity that came together with the success of "Poor Nastya", where I played Baron Korf. The shooting took place when I had one of the most difficult periods of my life. Along with "Poor Nastya" I was involved in Andrei Eshpai’s "Children of the Arbat" and in the film "Stargazer". Three starring roles in completely different works: of different material, organics, period. Waking up famous at the time was unexpected and hard for me.""Today I do not review the films with my participation. I used to spend a lot of time doing this. Perhaps, because of the internal uncertainty, the desire to find confirmation that I prove my salt. But in general, this is a useful thing. You can track down the way the energy you spent was embodied, the overall sound of the film, whether you are at your own place, to see and understand the direction of your further development."

Daniil Strakhov's interview for "Collection of Words" on radio "Mayak" 20.03.2015 (Poems are not translated)We thank Uuuhshiny for the translation

A. M. – Hello, on air of Mayak Andrey Maximov. Daniil Strakhov's today with us and I want to read the following: "The extraordinary musical and drama project of Natalya Semyonova "Magic of music. Magic of word" will take place on March 22 in the Moscow International House of Music". Dmitry Nazarov (who sat in your place not so long ago), Sergey Shnyryov and you are involved in that project. What is that?D. S. – Not only those above-mentioned actors are participating in it, but also Alexei Aigi with his beautiful music and his remarkable orchestra. Music performed there is original, and written especially for this project. There are verses of different poets, respectively performed by three different actors, which are interwoven with Aigi's original music and with organ music, also live. It's such a… well, for me in general it's a new experience. A. M. – Which poets?D.S. – Poets are very different, beginning from Brodsky, from Blok … finishing with Ryzhii, Gandlevski, Kenjeev. Actually, each of us has favourites, and from time to time these favourites change, and when I read a scenario of this project, it seemed to me that it's impossible to connect Blok and Ryzhii. It somehow seemed absolute... well, profanity. As it turned out – absolutely on the contrary! Natalya Semenova somehow managed to unite us, and we wonderfully all clinked. And if we ask "what about" - well it's difficult to tell, because when three actors read verses – what is it about? About everything.A.M. – And whose verses do you read?D. S. – I read Ryzhii, Samoylov, Kenjeev, Gandlevski … I've forgotten someone, I'm sure …A.M. – Let me point out that it's as hard to unite Ryzhii and Samoylov, as …D. S. – Yes …A. M. Was it your choice?D. S. – Yes. It was my choice. A.M. – Because they were your favourite?D. S. – You know, no, not only on that principle. These verses were somehow filtered by themselves, because Samoylov is also very diverse. And, besides a certain internal development of the play itself, there's still a development of the poets, the readers and actors. And somehow it ended up with my own personal internal development. If I begin with Samoylov – young Samoylov: "Два мальчика, два тихих обормотика…" - and finish with some quite serious, tragic verses by Ryzhii, everything falls into some kind of story.A.M. – You understand that in my place any person now would ask you: "Would you read us something?.. (Daniil laughs)A.M. – It's not necessary to be so very clever to offer that …D. S. – Well, I'm not sure, let me…A.M – Since it’s radio and not TV to avoid a pause, I’ll tell you that now Daniil takes out a printed text on a piece of paper. And it's quite particular because…D.S – Printed on a piece of paper because, of course, there's no wish to falter. Because there's an excitement, and… A.M. – … no, I meant not on a pad or any other gadget, just a printed text.D.S – Well at least not a hand-written one. Probably, it's difficult to begin with both Ryzhii and Samoylov. So I'll begin with the one who is even more difficult to begin with: from Gandlevski. Actually not so famous now…A.M. – (laughs) - If a poet can be famous nowadays, Gandlevski is the one of the most well-known!D. S. – (a poem)- Среди фанерных переборокИ дачных скрипов чердакаЯ сам себе далек и дорог,Как музыка издалека.Давно, сырым и нежным летом,Когда звенел велосипед,Жил мальчик - я по всем приметам,А, впрочем, может быть, и нет.- Курить нельзя и некрасиво...Все выше старая крапиваНесет зловещие листы.Марина, если б знала ты,Как горестно и терпеливоДуша искала двойника!Как музыка издалека,Лишь сроки осени подходят,И по участкам жгут листву,Во мне звенит и колобродитВторое детство наяву.Чай, лампа, затеррасный сумрак,Сверчок за тонкою стенойХранили бережный рисунокМеня, не познанного мной.С утра, опешивший спросонок,Покрыв рубашкой худобу,Под сосны выходил ребенокИ продолжал свою судьбу.На ветке воробей чирикал - Господь его благослови!И было до конца каникулСто лет свободы и любви!A.M – Would you … Would you read us more?D. S. – More? In a row?A.M. – Well, let it be in a row, and then we'll talk about it … it's just, it was so good …D. S. – Oh…A.M. – If it’s OK with you?D. S. – Sure! A.M. – It's just, so good, I liked it so much, to just simply sit here, listen to good verses, very nice…D. S. – (a poem)– В Свердловске живущий,но русскоязычный поэт,четвёртый день пьющий,сидит и глядит на рассвет.

Следит за погрузкойпеска на раздолбанный ЗИЛ —приёмный, но любящий сынпоэзии русской.A.M. – Whose verses were these?D.S. – By Rizhii.A.M – Tell me... it’s always interested me… Is reading a poem the same for you as a performance on stage? Same as acting for the audience, right? Are you acting out as "yourself"? Or are there people that direct your reading?D.S – Well, of course, all of us were united by Natasha Semenova. But if we speak about some inner works here, of course, I read from myself, from the first person, … I took some of her directions, feelings and appeals, but after all made it my own way. In a sense of some kind of internal structure of how I do it …A.M. – It means that in this case it's possible to say, that you treat it not like a role. When there's a role and there's a director and so on?D.S – Well, it is, of course … any role anyway is a broadcast of yourself, it's a very thin line here, and … and it's not always visible. In particular, for example Dmitri Nazarov performs in a suit, Seryozha (Sergey) Shnyryov appears in a jacket, (laughs) and I come on stage in … well not exactly in tatters, but my suit is of an absolutely different kind. It tunes us into more informal communication. There's nothing formal in it, there is no feeling of being before the footlights. I try to be closer in this sense to the audience also because my verses are like this, they're absolutely without " façade".A.M. Explain to me a phrase: "Any role is a broadcast of yourself". Let's take your, probably, one of the most known roles, if not the most known, of young Isaev. Is it too a broadcast of yourself? D.S – Of course.A. M. This demands an explanation.D.S. – The actor is a conductor. Or the semiconductor if you want. Of some ideas, certainly, director's, scenary's. Some ideas are certainly the director’s as well as from the primary source – dramaturgic. But, in addition, actor also translates everything through himself. One and the same role, and there's no doubt about it, could be played in millions different ways.A. M.– But isn't it the director who tells you a way?D.S – But it's me who plays it. Besides, as it seemed to me, there're different ways of collaboration: there's an "autocratic" way, of for example Lars von Trier, when generally this person with some strong art will and understanding of that is necessary … then it's probably more correct and better to obey and completely entrust yourself in him. But there is also a coauthorship.A.M. – And Ursulyak?. If you don’t know, Ursulyak is a director of the movie "Isaev"…D.S – I in many ways followed him, in many ways. But, in addition this role of "young Stirlitz" itself, it spoke to me on many levels, touched many personal strings. Parting with a father, feeling that he didn't belong in that time … with those people … loneliness … a conscious choice of this loneliness – in some sense, metaphysical sense of this word. Therefore, of course, (laughs) submitting to Ursulyak, I, nevertheless, broadcasted myself.A.M. You've mentioned those things. You told: lost in time. But for me you're the person who feels perfectly, wonderfully and remarkably at this time. D.S – I feel perfectly and remarkably because I am alive, healthy, because I have work. A.M. – And why do you believe you’re lost in time? Is this a theme that’s close to you?D.S – Because I consciously distant myself from this time.A.M. – For example?D.S – Public gatherings have long since stopped holding my interest. Glamorous or simple, actor’s parties and get-togethers are not interesting and I’ve stopped going to them. It’s up to the point that they feel alien to me, unfamiliar. I don’t participate in today’s society, this modern space – it’s as if I’m lost to it, a certainly allegory if you wish.A.M. – Well, so this, this and this aren't interesting to you. But what is?D.S – Good question … My world is interesting to me. A.M. – So, you're focused on yourself?D.S – I take interest in myself, yes quite right. That is, I'm, speaking in psychological terms, more of an introvert than an extrovert. I look for universe in myself, in inner, very narrow circle of people who surround me. In my home. I ceased to look out for it. And I try very hard to preserve my privacy. And following many circumstances – a lot's happened – I many times doubted this my choice of course. But even now with surprise, through some third hands, I hear people talk that I'm still an expert party-goer. And it's so ridiculous for me because I've never been to any for... say fifteen years already, since... I don't know (laughs) "Poor Nastya". I like other things more, for example to read poems…A.M. – And what fuels a person, who…D.S. - … to walk a dog…A.M. – What kind of dog?D.S. – Labrador.A.M. – Oh … what a wonderful …D.S – White, white labrador.A.M. – Tell me, when a person says – and I very much respect this attitude – "I am interesting to myself. I'm my own Cosmos". But then there is a question: where to fuel from, how not to close within oneself …D.S – Yes, yes, it’s a problem. It’s a big problem.A.M. – And how you do it?D.S – God knows. I have no right answer for that. Of course, not to grow indifferent, you need to go out to meet people. Work does that for me. Whether I like it or not. I go out, learn new material, meet new people, new directors, and new partners. In this informal communication I find for myself that necessary emotional feed that we talk about. I'm not so focused on myself (laughs) that I don't see, don't want to see people around! But I don't let myself to be lulled into some kind of illusion that I can learn this world, giving myself to and vanities of Moscow.A.M. – And there was such an illusion?D.S – I think many actors believe it.A.M. – And you too?D.S – I think yes, I had it too. A.M. – And why … what happened in your life, that you stopped believing in it?D.S – There were several personal events that changed something in me…A.M. – Things that we won't mention?D.S – Yes.A.M. – OK.D.S – And then … probably, some personal defense mechanisms , they worked and started some kind of a reverse process, and here the main thing was to listen to myself only. (laughs) Listen, you know, Andrey, I really wouldn't want our conversation to go into some monastic path, perhaps … (laughs) I begin to sound like a skhimnik … that's not true …A.M. – No, you understand, Danya, that I … a task of my programs here on Mayak, and the one I do on the channel Culture – is to understand the person. That’s actually what I'm trying to do, because, for me there's nothing more interesting, than people, and I will continue our talk, but after a small pause.……………………….A.M. – Daniil Strakhov's here with us today and I'm Andrey Maximov. And why are you frightened by those words? You've just asked us not to consider you a monk … are you afraid of the term?..D.S. (laughs) – That doesn't frighten me at all …A.M. – A monk actor, it's just so cool.Daniil laughs.A.M. - … so very interesting. Young Stierlitz's being a monk …D.S. - … I don't want any of our listeners to think that I'm trying to mark myself in any way – it's not true at all. As you in the first part of our conversation touched upon a subject of how not to get too into myself. On one hand, I say work helps. On the other, I take myself up on those words, as for the last three or, maybe, even more – four – years I haven't done in theater anything new. Except for this poetic project which will be out on twenty second … And this's a problem too. It's a serious problem not to close within myself because…A.M. – Why haven't you done anything new? You work in theater on Malaya Bronnaya (Moscow Drama Theatre on Malaya Bronnaya)?D.S – Let me be honest with you: I work in the theater on the contract.A.M. – On the contract – it means that you're not on the salary there, and are paid from job to job? That's what you mean?D.S – I don't even know how it's called now, I have a contract… that is, to put it briefly, I'm not in the company at present time. I'm an expert on leaving theater on Malaya Bronnaya, and then coming back. For now formally my labor book (employment record book) lies at home. A.M. – Why's that?D.S. – Because when the well-known events started in the theater, when the artistic director – yet another, so to say, – disagreed with the actors. And when bickerfests, troubles and squabbles started, I as the person who has another opinion on this question (my opinion doesn't coincide with any of the parties), decided that most honest for me would be to legally leave the theater on Malaya Bronnaya and to take an independent position…A.M. – So there’s a director who believes that the theatre needs to develop in one direction, and there're actors who believe in other direction of future development for the theatre. What third opinion is there? D.S – I think they all wrong (laughs). A.M. - Then how? It's either here or there...D.S. - No. There're a lot of ways. Where to go – I don't know, I'm not saying that I'm Moses that I know the way... (laughs)A.M. – Not Moses, well. One thing we’ve discovered in our interview… (laughs)D.S. – so here…A.M. – … we found out that you're not Moses.D.S. – … everything that is now happening there, all the processes... from my point of view, I made this legal step exactly not to discuss them.A.M. – Why do you think this's such a "damned" theater? Why all of this has happened there? For example, the talented, it seems to me, Trushkin came to the theater and staged, in my opinion, the worst play, seriously off scale, and then left. People come and go, not staying in, Lev Konstantinovich Durov took change, and then left the post, so did Zhenovach. Why is this happening?D.S. – Well, I don't know why, I personally to some extent was lucky with the theater on Malaya Bronnaya. I gave to this theater many efforts and a lot of time, and in different years, beginning with "The Picture of Dorian Gray" - one can differently think about an art component of this play – but the fact that for me this performance was very good, correct, so to say, serious start if to speak about a certain theatrical popularity (besides, certainly, "Petersburg" in other absolutely remarkable Gogol's Theater on the Small stage), and finishing again in the theatre on Malaya Bronnaya with "The Warsaw Melody" and "The Government Inspector". The Theater on Malaya Bronnaya and I are connected by the cordial, remarkable relations. With people who work there, with shops, with scene-men, make-up artists, property men … it's an absolutely remarkable team of people there. As for …A.M. – Then why?D.S – God knows! I don't. I can't answer this question. You understand, that the reason I left was not to answer this question (laughs)A.M. – So you left…D.S – Not exactly left, just legally cut myself out. To have some, how is it called?.. Immunity.A.M. – And why haven't you played anything for four years? Can't you ask, or there're no offers, or it's improper? Can't you come to Golomazov and say: "I want to play … this and that".D.S – I want him to offer me to play "this and that". And he doesn't. Or offers something that, from my point of view … (grins) not very "this and that". (laughs)A.M. – So now... what are you doing now?…D.S – Since Anton Yakovlev offered me to play in "A Hunting Accident" (Drama at the Hunt) by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov in Et Cetera theater, generally, so far I'm not doing anything new. There're offers of course but they're enterprise, which don't satisfy me. Again I'm not amusing myself with some illusions as many actors do to organize the company, to be engaged in self-direction – I don't want that. I’m waiting for something different.A.M. – And what should be in a role to make actor Daniil Strakhov say, "Yes"?D.S – Well, something has to click inside – that's all. It doesn't even really depend on the material. Sometimes it’s a combination of material, director, studio, alleged partners, and, maybe, even without all of the above, just two human eye opposite and a pile of sheets with some material. And I suddenly will feel that this's what I need now.A.M. – Is it the same as love – it's just impossible to explain? D.S – Yes, as you can't explain why you agree to some film offers and refuse others. It's an intuition, a combination of some absolutely strange things. A.M. – Do money matter?D.S – Yes, but not a lot. A.M. – This should be explained.D.S – Well, let's just say there're moments when you need money very much, like you need them a lot. But you understand that even for money you can't participate in certain projects.A.M. – And are there times when money are not really necessary?D.S – There're moments when they're not much of a problem. When you’re not in debts, when you aren't having anything built, when you exist, well, thank God, in some kind of a relative wellbeing.A.M. – Do actors live financially well?D.S – It depends. A.M. – You?D.S – I'm OK. I don't complain. A.M. – Everyone says that they have problems.D.S – Really?A.M. – All actors complain about their wellbeing.D.S – Well… This’s some fantastic misconception (laughs). But at the same time when I come to the theater on Malaya Bronnaya, and I see young people there, and already not so young, and absolutely not young, my partners who – so far! – were not yet invited to your studio, but I do believe it'll happen to them sooner or later … and I understand that their financial wellbeing could very differ, and this question, should you ask them, I think the answer would be, completely different.A.M. – Tell me, you play "The Warsaw melody". It's a very famous play by Zorin, and there was a very well-known performance by Ulyanov and Borisova, you know, of course …D.S. – And not only them.A. M. – True, and it's such a famous play … The play about a serious past. I know this play very well and that time plays there a vital role. Why did you agree to take part in this in such a retrohistory?D.S – Well, let's start with the end here. It's not a retrohistory at all. And that's what absolutely amazing…What is a difference between a talented dramaturgy and just dramaturgy? – always relevant, it perpetually sounds like it speaks to us today. We together with Yulya Peresild from time to time, well not really shudder; it’s not the right word… We feel uneasy how those lines we perform in already eighty ninth – and on the first of April there will be ninetieth time – get today, facing the modern world, some very distinctive up-to-date sounding. It's amazingly dreadful!A. M. – Could you give some examples?D.S. – No, I don't want to give examples. it's about nazism, in particular. About charm of nazism. About how we never hear each other. I mean not only people, I mean countries too. This is why for me it's not retrohistory, absolutely not at all. Besides, throughout these five years We’ve staged it, the story has a tremendous inner elasticity. It exists continuously changing. А. М. And we’ll continue after a small break……………………………………..A.M. – Daniil Strakhov here in our studio now and it's Andrey Maximov, we’re talking about "The Warsaw Melody". You said that it's a very modern play, and it has some kind of inner elasticity. What is that, what you do think? D.S – It constantly changes. It lives together with us. We aren’t getting any younger in these five years and the play, well, it’s not getting any older (laughs) it, together with us grows wiser, gets some understanding of life, that nothing is just black and white; it loses the so called condemnation veil – as Victor's character himself. Well, and it's my opinion on this matter too as you can guess, I know this play very well. I initially understand, and even found some conformation to that, that the playwright wrote this history, internally condemning Victor as a character. It's all in the play. And I for all those five years tried to free him from that written in condemnation. And, as it seems to me, now this initial offense of female part of the audience who comes to this play – and, of course, women audience is much bigger here – this offense becomes less and less, and instead there is an understanding that when two people part, no one is to blame.A.M. – Did Leonid Genrikhovich Zorin see your performance?D.S – Yes he saw, long time ago.A.M. – What did he tell? To you.D.S – Personally he didn’t tell me anything. A.M. – Why?D. S – Well … could be because I didn't ask him…A.M. – But he did say something right? D.S – Just some general, encouraging words, well, words meant for a premiere. But we didn't talk that much at that time. I didn't take it upon myself to, because he actually wrote this play not yesterday and how could it be interesting to him to talk on this subject, I didn't know. And, realizing that when there was just a premiere, and this is too a very sensitive subject – most of our colleagues and, critics, directors, actors … A.M. – … go to a premiere.D.S – All come to a premiere, and even worse, to some pre-premiere screening. … And, of course, actually … I apologize for a tautology – there's here simply nothing to speak about. Nothing at all. Premiers are always "raw". Or even worse. So to seriously talk to a playwright about what he wrote, and how I’ve been playing it for many years, it’s necessary for him to come to the play another time.A.M. - Let us hear once again some verses that you perform at "Magic of music. Magic of word" on March 22nd in the Moscow House of music.D.S – And you know what, I will dare to read to you a poem which won't be performed on 22nd.A.M. – Oh as always... I so beautifully brought you to the subject and you... ОК, why do you want to read another one?D.S - Because it's a poem by my father. His new book came out called "Eight times eight", and somehow father asked me why hadn’t I ever read his verses? Well, when he asked me this question, I hadn't had this poetic performance yet and even when it started... verses written by my father, they, generally, differ from the ones used in the performance, that I read from the stage, but I can't refuse myself the pleasure to seize the opportunity and to read one of his poems. If you allow.A.M. - Tell us his name.D.S - His name is Alexander Strakhov.Я вслушиваюсь в отгремевший гром,Сажусь на только что ушедший поезд.Пропишут бром – я принимаю ромИ, переев, затягиваю пояс.Я делаю не то, не так, наоборот,Назло уставам жизни и устоям. Кто вам сказал, что их не побороть, Что вечно послушание? - Пустое. Щедры? Копите прошлогодний снег.Скупы? Счета доверьте секретарше.Гоните сон с отяжелевших векИ никогда не становитесь старше. A.M. - It's the remarkable poem of your father. Tell me have you thought of the nature of… about popularity, about the nature of fame? You're very popular actor, and your father writes very good verses, but he's much less popular, than he deserves. Why does it happen? What do you think?D.S - I think about it, probably, if not every day of course but with a fair regularity. Fame is a fickle lady, and today she's with you, tomorrow she will pass by, and you watching her go, won't see her turning around. It happened that, generally, beginning from 24-year-old approximately, I don't remember, I suddenly felt what it's like to sign autographs... But of course, fame is – if we imagine fame as a diagram – it's a broken line, a sinusoid, it's anything but just a straight ascending line, certainly.AM. Do you need it? DS. It's a part of a profession, it can’t be helped. AM. But, do you need it?DS. In a relation to a bread on the table, doing that I want, from the point of view of the choice - definitely. Of course.If I am not recognized if I am not successful... no matter how my words may sound, success in art is a thing very conditional, very strange, and doesn’t always go hand in hand with anything good, with the art itself. More often than not the success is equivalent to immediacy/momentariness that will disappear as last year snow. But nevertheless, an actor's profession as such is that you're eager to be recognizable, you need to be known and there's no escape from it.A.M. - Well not everyone does. Or everyone?DS. Difficult question, everyone or not. For example my first performance in Gogol's theater was "Petersburg", a novel by Andrey Bely. I played Nikolenka Ableukhov, Ableukhov Jr. My father was played by a remarkable actor Evgeny Krasnitsky, he isn't with us anymore. His performance was ingenious. By a certain default we in general never discussed it neither with him, certainly, or with the director of this play Golomazov, but somehow it was already clear to me then and now becomes obvious after many years that this was his major role in life, the last role in life. For this role he received "A Golden Mask" Award and Stanislavsky's Award that year, the play was nominated for all of those awards too. He beat out such renowned actors as Kalyagin, Raikin, and after they all sent him very year telegrams, wishing happy birthdays. He was and... He was and remained till the day he died the unknown actor. He played this role ingeniously. Weather he needed fame or not, I don't know. But nevertheless, it happened so that in his life there was one this role that he waited and embodied it as an actor as a talented person. What has fame to do with it? It's difficult for me to judge.A.M. As I understood glory for you is just a tool. Not the purpose, but the tool to normally exist in a profession.DS. As I was saying. It's a basis, it's a part of the profession - whether we like it or not.AM. Should an actor work for the fame, or should he just work well, and the fame will come?DS. Another difficult question, I don't know. Everybody has their own ways. I for example in some sense have got pretty brazen because I seldom do interview, go out... but we've started our conversation from this, right? In this sense I constantly tempt this making of the profession - recognition, fame, being in demand because all of those halt me. It prevents me to concentrate on myself, on what I'm doing. If I'm to give interviews every day, there won't be anything to speak about. It will become of an illusion of communication, instead of an actual communication. I will be just a white noise in the air in order not to be forgotten. But my personal belief is that no matter how often you do TV show's (talk-shows) if you had your innings, you can't change that. Fame isn't as important as ability hold this some kind of strange balance. To make a pause, to be able to hold it not only on a scene, but also in life. AM. What is that "to hold a pause"?DS. To keep silent. To be able to refuse. Not to go out to all parties, you are invited. Not to turn from an actor into a showman. To understand that the more you participate in some TV programs which don't correspond to your inner purpose, your internal contents, the more you will lose with each show, with each empty pronounced word. It's an inevitable thing.AM. Judging by your words now it's obvious that you're very serious about acting as a profession. You know that some people don’t treat it very seriously. And it means that this profession seems to you very important and necessary, time you are engaged in it so seriously. Why is it an important and necessary profession?DS. Not quite following the question.A.M. You know, Georgy Aleksandrovich Tovstonogov told me - Tovstonogov himself (renouned Russian theatrical director) - he told that actors can't be normal people because they come out every evening on the stage and lie. It was told by Tovstonogov, I was absolutely struck that those were his own words. It's a strange profession when the person pretends to be someone else all the time. But, probably, in it there's some serious depth for you. And I want to understand it.DS. Well I'm trying not to lie. If to answer Tovstonogov, I try not to lie. This’s why I don't really understand - not condemn - but don't understand actors that - well, I do understand them (laughs), but this isn't for me - actors who step on the stage every day. For me it's impossible. I will just die (laughs). It's just physically impossible to play "The Drama on Hunt" or "The Warsaw melody" every day. I can-not-do that, won't be able! It doesn't mean that I'm such so very deep actor: you know, I need to save up... I need to gather in myself something to give away and therefore I come up on stage once a week, no more... I do not want to generalize here. Besides, I suspect what people are all arranged differently, and if to take any inner workings of actors, the profession: all actors play in different tones. Someone here gives out something of himself, someone puts on a mask - it's a different theater, different material, different directions, after all. So here I can speak only for myself.A.M. Is it possible in today's theater to play, without giving out something from one's soul? Is it possible in general if we speak about any serious works? D.S. If to speak about serious works, then, of course, it's not.A.M. If we speak about the recreational enterprise...D.S. Enterprises can be so very different too. Well of course, with some less dramatical material one can play respectively with much less efforts, of course. On the other hand, I know actors for whom it turned into some king of drug, and they need to perform on stage every day. God knows how they do it, it's not for me to judge. A.M. Daniil Strakhov's here with us and we'll continue after a small pause...----------------------------------A.M. Andrey Maximov on air, Daniil Strakhov's with us today. You’re telling totally unusual things and it seems to me that it’s unexpected for the major part of our audience. That’s why I’m asking you: Does your appearance hinder you? D.S. (laughs) It’s a good question!A.M. Well I want to explain, the thing’s that you’re such a young handsome man and it suddenly turns out that you’re … Well not suddenly, it’s clear for anyone in the know that you’re a deep person… That’s … You should be like a kind of Alain Delon, you should…D.S. Is Alain Delon not deep? I’ve never talked to him (laughs).DS. Well I'm trying not to lie. If to answer Tovstonogov, I try not to lie. This’s why I don't really understand - not condemn - but don't understand actors that - well, I do understand them (laughs), but this isn't for me - actors who step on the stage every day. For me it's impossible. I will just die (laughs). It's just physically impossible to play "The Drama on Hunt" or "The Warsaw melody" every day. I can-not-do that, won't be able! It doesn't mean that I'm such so very deep actor: you know, I need to save up... I need to gather in myself something to give away and therefore I come up on stage once a week, no more... I do not want to generalize here. Besides, I suspect what people are all arranged differently, and if to take any inner workings of actors, the profession: all actors play in different tones. Someone here gives out something of himself, someone puts on a mask - it's a different theater, different material, different directions, after all. So here I can speak only for myself.A.M. Is it possible in today's theater to play, without giving out something from one's soul? Is it possible in general if we speak about any serious works? D.S. If to speak about serious works, then, of course, it's not.A.M. If we speak about the recreational enterprise...D.S. Enterprises can be so very different too. Well of course, with some less dramatical material one can play respectively with much less efforts, of course. On the other hand, I know actors for whom it turned into some king of drug, and they need to perform on stage every day. God knows how they do it, it's not for me to judge. A.M. Daniil Strakhov's here with us and we'll continue after a small pause...----------------------------------A.M. Andrey Maximov on air, Daniil Strakhov's with us today. You’re telling totally unusual things and it seems to me that it’s unexpected for the major part of our audience. That’s why I’m asking you: Does your appearance hinder you? D.S. (laughs) It’s a good question!A.M. Well I want to explain, the thing’s that you’re such a young handsome man and it suddenly turns out that you’re … Well not suddenly, it’s clear for anyone in the know that you’re a deep person… That’s … You should be like a kind of Alain Delon, you should…D.S. Is Alain Delon not deep? I’ve never talked to him (laughs).A.M. I don’t know well … such a man… you might be offered conformable parts … So does your appearance, your, excuse me for saying, handsomeness, hinder you?D.S. Every age’s calling for its parts. Soo... Right now I’m in such a wonderful, amazing condition or status when I start being offered totally different parts. In the part answering your question honestly I’d say yes, it does hinder me.Moreover there’d once been a period when I was trying to get rid of that impress – yes – handsome actor, Adonis, what else – jeune premier if we take some old theatre jargon. Now it’s not, say my advantage. It’s my tool. It’s my tool which, I hope, I use more and more sophisticated, differently each time, each play, each year, each part. And there’s no boundary. Moreover, knowing the examples of what can happen with an actor during some age, how they can either fall into obscurity or suddenly acquire a new line. So I’ve set my mind in rest on that point. As I’ve already said, actor’s calling is a thing totally out of control. It seems to you that you guide it but it isn’t so. It develops absolutely spontaneously. You may try to grasp this fame, this popularity, this state of being relevant but there’s no sense in it, no logic. What more important for me now is to work on the material I’m given to and to find my own way in it. In that case everything’s going to keep on being fine. A.M. Here I want to ask you a question. It’s obvious that you’re a soul-searcher. You’ve told us that before. You’re a man who’s always introspective, aren’t you?But at the same time you live well as it is. Why would a person with an utterly dependent profession do it?Because whether you introspect or not it’s not up to you, to be given a part of Hlestakov for example. So why is all that soul-searching?D.S. By the way the part of Hlestakov I’ve chosen myself. It was I who suggested this play to Golomazov. That was my idea. And it’s necessary to dig in (laughs) cause there’s some digging to do. If my state of mind demands analyzing my fourty legs connecting me to this world then I have to think them all over. Had my psychological type been different I’d have been a kind of sparrow jumping from a branch to branch. I’d exist in some other register/played by some other tune. It’s important to listen to yourself and to understand that everyone’s got his/her own mechanisms of perceiving the world. This is exactly what it is for me in acting. At some point you just realize that you need to stop overthinking. And it’s also wonderful when you’re digging and digging endlessly but suddenly stop and throw away that shovel and letting go. A.M. Listen, are you really able to interact with your inner self so effectively? D.S. Well it’s a goal (laughs). It’s definitely a goal. To get total control over your acting body at some point is definitely a goal and it can be achieved by million ways. That’s for sure.A.M. Well it’s an important psychological question: what’s dominating – our thoughts or ourselves? Do we think of what we want to think or our thoughts are out of control? It’s truly a problem beyond a joke. But you haven’t got it. You can dig and dig and then as you say … well it sounds good…D.S. It sounds good.A.M. Throw away the shovel, wow, stop soul-searching, it’s such a …D.S. All that I meant within acting. For example you’re thinking over a part, thinking over a part, thinking over a part, digging, digging, digging, discussing something with the director, inventing, peeling layer by layer, understanding something over the text and through the text, applying inner self to the role, but at some moment you should stop thinking and just let go.A.M. Is it the same referring to contacts with people and world? You can think it over and say…D.S. It’s more complicated.(laughs) Acting is easier.A.M. But why? D.S. Well because … because life is always more complicated than job. And, by the way, it’s a big mistake of many actors and all artists in general who devote themselves to their job completely. They think the job’s even more important than life. For actors in particular it’s a mistake because such person starts to set boundaries for him. He narrows his range of interests and doesn’t see some things which can enrich him as an actor as well. Such person shackles him with some, you know, il sacerdozio dell'arte.A.M. Is it interesting for you to live?D.S. SureA.M. What are you interested in in life? Except for yourself. We already know that you are interested in yourself a lot.D.S. Nothing, in the grand scheme of things. In the grand scheme of things. If we talk about…A.M. The interest to yourself provides…D.S. It’s immense.A.M. It gives the answer to the question above – it’s interesting for me to live. You are interested in yourself so much that you can introspect eternally. And you enjoy it.D.S. Eternally.A.M. Does it.. Is it ok with you?D.S. I think, yes.A.M. So you are interested in yourself more than in the real world.D.S. Yes. But I hope you understand but you haven’t voiced the word and I’ll do it for you. The word is self-admiration or narcissism. Am I right?A.M. No I haven’t even… these are not my words. I haven’t ever had such thoughts. D.S. Thank goodness. Cause, every person, every person, yes, is a born narcissus for sure. Everyone presupposes it about him but almost never shares it with the others that the cosmos inside him is unique and he feels it, knows it. Cause only this micro cosmos he can feel better than anything else. It’s so simple and so interesting. A.M. And do you feel comfortable with yourself?D.S. No.A.M. Why?D.S. Cause there’s a lot of stuff inside of me that makes me understand that I’m not the easy bit. I’ve got lots of bad stuff inside. A.M. Well now our time is over and I want to remind you that we hosted Daniil Strahov. I want to say thank you so much for your honesty.